The Fora: A Higher Education Community

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Anselm on April 14, 2020, 11:53:07 AM

Title: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Anselm on April 14, 2020, 11:53:07 AM
Hey, is anyone else besides me dropping weight from the lack of the usual dining options? I am down about 10 lbs. since the start of the lock downs. 

The furry animals are invading the cities and reclaiming lost habitat.  Gasoline is cheap.  Children are getting more quality time with their parents.  Overworked people are getting a break.  New wars are being delayed.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: clean on April 14, 2020, 12:12:40 PM
I noted a 5 pound drop in the Water Cooler thread.  After posting that, though, I ran out of the pre made salads I had been eating.  I had to revert to eating the other things in the house or ordered.  Im not saying that I didnt enjoy the grilled steak, mashed potatoes, and fried okra, or the Wingstop wings I ate Friday - Sunday, but my tummy regained some of the reduced bulk tonnage. 

I had a doctor's appointment (online for the first time) today.  It seems that my blood diagnostics like being away from the office!   My HDL numbers are genetically low, but I was near a lifetime high this draw!!  My LDL was also much lower than my usual numbers.  I think that those levels are related to the inability to eat french fries on the way to work And the reduction in stress caused by my coworkers or discussing the lunacy of the admincritters there. 

My retirement accounts were down well over $250K in March. I think that I have recovered 1/3 of that.  Maybe more.  So Im hoping that I will still be able to retire, IF I want to in about 5 years.  Im not sure I will want to (willingness), but I want to be ABLE to!

For the next few days Im hoping to get my next tests ready AND the final exams written.  Once those are behind me, I hope to be able to finish the research project I should have finished over Spring Break - before being redirected to online education. 
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: ciao_yall on April 14, 2020, 01:38:25 PM
Quote from: Anselm on April 14, 2020, 11:53:07 AM
Hey, is anyone else besides me dropping weight from the lack of the usual dining options? I am down about 10 lbs. since the start of the lock downs. 

The furry animals are invading the cities and reclaiming lost habitat.  Gasoline is cheap.  Children are getting more quality time with their parents.  Overworked people are getting a break.  New wars are being delayed.

Yes, I have lost a few pounds. Even with all the extra wine drinking....
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Wahoo Redux on April 14, 2020, 02:11:29 PM
Los Angeles clear of smog.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: downer on April 14, 2020, 02:38:54 PM
I'm up to 65 sit ups a day. Though not all at once!
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: mahagonny on April 14, 2020, 02:46:23 PM
I didn't spend even one minute looking for a parking space this week.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: AJ_Katz on April 20, 2020, 08:22:50 AM
That meeting to Europe as one of the keynote speakers and the regional meeting that was going to be hosted by our department were both cancelled.  This is good news to me.  I am over-committed now and the project I had planned to talk on for the keynote talk is not as far along as I had hoped. 

My retirement funds were down 30% in mid-Feb and have rebounded to about half of that (so ~18% down) as of this week, so not nearly as bad as it was previously.  I'm still a couple of decades away from my target retirement. 

It's been 5 weeks since we last went to the grocery store, so I was eating very healthy for weeks 1 and 2, but then most of the "freshies" ran out.  I've been making a lot of bean-based soups, rice, and using frozen veggies.  We're going to the grocery store on Wednesday morning and hoping to stock up for another 5-week avoidance period.  I've been able to effortlessly maintain a 15 lbs weight loss achieved in Jan / Feb.  The last time we ate from a restaurant was 7 weeks ago -- neither of us like take-out / drive through and we are also want to avoid potential exposure to the virus.   We've been wanting to significantly reduce our eating out for a long time, so this is a good change.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: OneMoreYear on April 20, 2020, 08:49:16 AM
Perhaps an obvious one, but:
My average weekly driving mileage prior to the stay-at-home order: 650 miles
My mileage from last week: 20 miles (groceries)
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Cheerful on April 20, 2020, 09:09:51 AM
Quote from: AJ_Katz on April 20, 2020, 08:22:50 AM
We're going to the grocery store on Wednesday morning and hoping to stock up for another 5-week avoidance period.

Please report back and let us know if you were able to buy enough food to last 5 weeks and if it is something more than canned veggies and rice.  Hope you can report good news! 
Otherwise, please post on one of the virus threads -- to stay on topic -- since this is the positive thread. : ) 
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Cheerful on April 20, 2020, 04:25:06 PM
Quote from: Cheerful on April 20, 2020, 09:09:51 AM
Quote from: AJ_Katz on April 20, 2020, 08:22:50 AM
We're going to the grocery store on Wednesday morning and hoping to stock up for another 5-week avoidance period.

Please report back and let us know if you were able to buy enough food to last 5 weeks and if it is something more than canned veggies and rice.  Hope you can report good news! 
Otherwise, please post on one of the virus threads -- to stay on topic -- since this is the positive thread. : ) 

I just read my reply and it sounds like I might be suggesting you posted on the wrong thread.  I didn't mean that, sorry.  I missed the edit window, so second post here.

What I meant to say is that if the grocery experience ends up being less than great, I realize reporting back may not belong on this thread.  Bottom line: hope it's great.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: clean on April 20, 2020, 05:12:28 PM
For what it is worth, I thought that the reply from Cheerful, was anything but!  It looked out of place to me on a thread that was for 'good news'.
I look forward to hearing that the grocery stores are full of food, and not overcrowded with people, but just enough people to make it seem like a comfy, cozy, happy, but healthy,  place full of social distancing practitioners!
AND I hope that you find a good sales price on the fresh veggies and meats that are there too! 
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Nightshade on April 21, 2020, 12:05:28 PM
I was offered, and I accepted, a visiting position at a great school next year. While the TT didn't materialize as I had hoped, it is a relief to know I will continue to be employed and I can try for a permanent position again next year. It does mean a cross-country move, but I am excited to experience a new region of this vast country of ours.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: apl68 on April 21, 2020, 12:43:44 PM
Quote from: Nightshade on April 21, 2020, 12:05:28 PM
I was offered, and I accepted, a visiting position at a great school next year. While the TT didn't materialize as I had hoped, it is a relief to know I will continue to be employed and I can try for a permanent position again next year. It does mean a cross-country move, but I am excited to experience a new region of this vast country of ours.

Congratulations!
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: clean on April 21, 2020, 12:49:17 PM
QuoteI was offered, and I accepted, a visiting position at a great school next year. While the TT didn't materialize as I had hoped, it is a relief to know I will continue to be employed and I can try for a permanent position again next year. It does mean a cross-country move, but I am excited to experience a new region of this vast country of ours.

Yee Haw!!
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Vkw10 on April 21, 2020, 04:20:30 PM
Quote from: Nightshade on April 21, 2020, 12:05:28 PM
I was offered, and I accepted, a visiting position at a great school next year. While the TT didn't materialize as I had hoped, it is a relief to know I will continue to be employed and I can try for a permanent position again next year. It does mean a cross-country move, but I am excited to experience a new region of this vast country of ours.

Congratulations!
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Anselm on April 22, 2020, 01:52:48 PM
In response to what I read on another CV19 thread, the closure, disruption or reform of our industrial meat production and CAFO's  might be a good thing.
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: dismalist on April 22, 2020, 02:12:09 PM
And CO2 emissions are way, way down! :-)
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: clean on April 22, 2020, 04:15:48 PM
Indian cities can see the Himalayan Mountains!

Paris can actually see the sky behind the Arch de triomphe.

I havent seen any reports, but I suppose that the Grand Canyon once again has another side!

In my world, air quality is low because farmers are burning their fields.  (Which means that the fertility of their fields will b increased! (making sure that this is 'good news'))
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: hmaria1609 on April 22, 2020, 07:01:12 PM
Finished a collections project for the library today!
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: Nightshade on April 23, 2020, 06:02:54 PM
Quote from: hmaria1609 on April 22, 2020, 07:01:12 PM
Finished a collections project for the library today!

Congrats! How are you celebrating?
Title: Re: Silver linings / good news thread
Post by: hmaria1609 on April 23, 2020, 06:30:27 PM
Quote from: Nightshade on April 23, 2020, 06:02:54 PMCongrats! How are you celebrating?
A nip of whisky I bought in Edinburgh last year!  :)  It's a label that doesn't ship outside of the UK.